Liverpool supporters' union, Spirit of Shankly, have combined with their Manchester United counterparts to demand stricter governance over who is allowed to own football clubs in the United Kingdom.
And the correspondence has been backed by Labour, with the shadow minister for culture and sport, Alison McGovern, lending her firm support, telling the ECHO: "It's frankly too easy for these clubs to become financially unstable."
Both Liverpool and their historic rivals United are up for sale at present with the Glazer family confirming they are looking for a buyer at Old Trafford just weeks after it emerged Fenway Sports Group are seeking either external investment or exploring the merits of an outright sale at Anfield.
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With arguably the two biggest football institutions in England both on the market, speculation over forthcoming bidders has been rife. Liverpool have been linked with offers from a joint venture between private organisations in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Indian businessmen and various American hedge funds since the news dropped in November.
FSG have instructed two major US banks in Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to search for any buyers, with Mike Gordon - the man generally considered to be the most hands-on of the ownership group - stepping away from the day to day running at Anfield to oversee any serious offers.
Newcastle United's takeover by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia in October 2021, however, remains a hugely controversial buyout, despite the Premier League insisting they have assurances that the Magpies are not officially owned by the Saudi government, given their history of human rights abuse.
Back in April last year, the Government said it would establish an independent regulator in football after endorsing recommendations made in Tracey Crouch's fan-led review. The governing body would have the power to sanction clubs across English football who break financial rules, while a brand new owners' test would be drawn up to give more power back to fans, theoretically.
Spirit of Shankly have now teamed up with the Manchester United Supporters' Trust (MUST) to call for stronger legislation over who is permitted to take over football clubs across the country as the ownership uncertainty over arguably the Premier League two biggest clubs goes on amid intense, daily speculation.
In a joint statement, the two supporters' unions have called for stricter measures to avoid either club falling into the "improper hands" of opaque ownership groups with dubious motivation.
The statement reads: "By common consent, our clubs are the biggest in English football and, with a combined worldwide fanbase of over 200m people, they are widely recognised global institutions – in fact perhaps two of the most well-known British institutions worldwide.
"That global profile will likely attract many potential bidders, including some whose primary motivations may not respect either the cultural heritage of our clubs or the values and interests of supporters. We think that should be a matter of importance to the Government. Just as the Government would not allow our most important cultural or heritage assets to fall into unfit or improper hands, it should not allow our football clubs to do so either.
"We welcome the plans for an Independent Regulator tasked with developing stronger rules around football club ownership, but there is a danger it will come too late for the country’s two biggest and most successful clubs.
"Manchester United and Liverpool fans are the most fierce rivals. If we can come together with common cause then we believe the Government can work out a way to ensure its intended IREF [independent regulator of English football] and stronger ownership rules can be introduced quickly enough to safeguard the future of our two clubs."
Speaking to the ECHO, Ms McGovern, who is the Labour MP for Wirral South, said it has been too easy for wealthy owners with dubious histories to be allowed into the English game as she lent her backing to the letter to the Secretary of State.
"I think that there's a huge number of questions over the current situation and we know there are problems right throughout football," Ms McGovern said. "Whether that is over who can be an owner if they are a fit and proper person and how those decisions are taken and a lack of transparency over how those decisions are taken is very problematic. The problems run all through football and these problems cascade down the leagues.
"It's frankly too easy for these clubs to become financially unstable and too hard to build a team and compete properly on a sporting basis whilst we allow huge amounts of money to wash in and out of the game. I think that getting a regulator in place so that fans' interests are in place should be paramount for any government in their sports policy. And, again, if the Tories can't do it then a Labour Government will."
Liverpool took the groundbreaking step over the summer to launch the first-ever Supporters' Board in the Premier League which aims to "deliver meaningful fan representation" at boardroom level. The possible sale of the club presents a potentially huge challenge for the newly-established group just months into their existence.
"I think it's a good step forward and I think those arrangements are referenced in Tracy Crouch’s fan-led review and it's important because anybody who thinks that football is just as a business like any other is wrong," adds McGovern. "You do hear that from time to time but they are wrong. For football fans, their club is a part of who they are; their family; their identity; their culture and heritage."
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